Chapter 400 A Misunderstanding at the Door

Chapter 400: Chapter 400 A Misunderstanding at the Door

Ryan’s expression darkened slightly before he slowly turned around.

His gaze met Alicia’s.

She had clearly been caught off guard by finding him changing. A faint blush spread across her delicate features, and she quickly turned her face away.

“Mr. Knight, I’m sorry. I knocked, but I didn’t realize you were changing...”

Ryan’s eyes remained devoid of emotion.

He glanced at Alicia’s averted face before calmly fastening his shirt buttons again.

“If you’re embarrassed, leave.”

His voice was naturally cold. The words sounded casual, yet there was an unmistakable edge of sarcasm beneath them.

Alicia pressed her lips together and clenched her fists.

“I didn’t mean to. I know it’s inappropriate for a man and woman to be alone together in a room, which is why I didn’t close the door.”

She pointed towards the door, which was indeed left slightly ajar.

Ryan didn’t even look at it.

He sat down on the sofa.

“So, you came here because you have something to say.”

His tone was calm and measured, as though he had already seen through her intentions.

Only then did Alicia slowly turn around.

Her large, doe-like eyes settled on him.

She hesitated for a moment, seemingly struggling to find the right words, before finally speaking.

“Actually, I came here because of Rose.”

Ryan’s expression remained unchanged.

Alicia continued softly, “Rose and I only found out today that you and Miss Mercer are announcing your engagement. She was very surprised and... somewhat upset. So, I came to ask you about it on her behalf.”

A faint, almost imperceptible curve touched the corner of Ryan’s lips.

He looked up at her.

“You’re helping her? Did she ask you to?”

Alicia took two steps towards him.

“Mr. Knight, you probably don’t understand women very well. Women can be sensitive, and when they care about someone, they often refuse to back down in front of them.”

Her voice was gentle and earnest.

“Today is clearly the occasion when you and Miss Mercer are announcing your engagement. So why did you invite Rose? Naturally, she’d be upset.”

“Is that so?”

Ryan lit a cigarette.

His tone was indifferent.

He neither confirmed nor denied what she had said.

Alicia bit her lip before finally stopping in front of him.

“Why don’t you think about it a little more, Mr. Knight? Rose has been married to you for so many years. What if, out of frustration, she does something today that damages the relationship between the Knight and Mercer families? Wouldn’t that be bad for everyone?”

She paused.

“Actually, I’d also like to see things between the two of you improve.”

Her lips curved downward slightly, and her expression became almost pleading.

“I don’t want to see Rose hurt.”

Her intentions seemed perfectly clear.

She was only thinking of her sister.

She was gentle, understanding and seemingly sincere.

Anyone watching might have been moved by her concern.

Ryan’s expression remained impassive as he tapped the ash from his cigarette.

Then he gave a quiet chuckle.

“You two really get along.”

“How could we not?” Alicia murmured. “She’s my sister. If I don’t look out for her, who else would understand what she’s thinking?”

“Does she know you’re interfering this much?”

Ryan finally raised his eyes.

His dark gaze fixed on her.

“Are you trying to be her confidante, or mine?”

Alicia blinked.

Confusion slowly appeared in her eyes.

“Mr. Knight, I’m not like those other women. Why do you keep misunderstanding me?”

The warmth in Ryan’s eyes disappeared completely.

He stubbed out his cigarette and stood.

As he moved, the cufflink he had been absent-mindedly fiddling with came loose and dropped onto the floor.

“Then let me give you an answer.”

His voice was cold.

“The relationship between Rose and me has reached this point by mutual agreement. Miss Taylor, there’s no need for you to be so anxious.”

He glanced at her.

“It’s not like the person at the top is losing sleep while everyone else is stressing over it.”

Alicia’s face stiffened.

She bit her lip.

“Even if you’ve misunderstood me, I have nothing more to say. I won’t disturb you.”

She puffed out her cheeks in frustration, looking both embarrassed and indignant.

Yet she still turned around.

After taking a few steps, she noticed the cufflink on the floor and bent down to pick it up.

“Here...”

Just then—

Her heel caught the hem of her dress.

The delicate fabric tightened beneath her shoe.

With a sharp sound, the zipper at the back gave way.

Her evening gown slipped awkwardly, exposing part of her shoulders and upper chest.

Alicia’s face instantly turned scarlet.

She hurriedly tried to hold the dress in place with one hand.

But the sudden movement threw her off balance.

She stumbled towards Ryan.

Ryan’s expression barely changed.

The instant she came towards him, he took a long step backwards.

Alicia missed him completely and fell onto the sofa behind her.

Her dress was now in disarray, and she struggled to hold it together.

Ryan simply stood there.

He made no move to offer his jacket.

Alicia looked mortified.

“S-sorry...”

She gathered the fabric around herself and looked up at him with flushed cheeks.

“Mr. Knight... you didn’t see anything, did you?”

A trace of coldness flickered through Ryan’s eyes.

He had no intention of answering.

But before he could say anything—

The door, which had been left ajar, suddenly swung open.

Charlotte stood in the doorway.

Her expression changed instantly.

“What are you doing?!”

Her furious voice rang through the room.

Footsteps immediately followed.

The Mercer family arrived first.

Then came members of the Knight family.

James appeared soon afterwards, having arrived late.

None of the other guests entered, but the members of both families had already seen everything.

Edward’s face went pale.

“Ryan, what on earth is going on?”

Charlotte had never felt so humiliated.

On the very day the two families were supposed to publicly announce their engagement, she had walked in and found Ryan alone in a room with another woman.

Alicia’s clothes were disheveled, her shoulders exposed as she desperately tried to hold her dress together.

To anyone who didn’t know what had happened, the scene was impossible to interpret innocently.

Charlotte’s father could barely contain his fury.

“Mr. Knight! Aren’t you going to give the Mercer family an explanation?”

His voice shook with anger.

“How did this woman end up in your room? What exactly happened between you two?”

Ryan didn’t appear particularly surprised by the crowd.

His gaze swept over everyone before settling calmly on Charlotte’s father.

“She came looking for me. What exactly do you want me to explain?”

He had no intention of defending himself.

Yet his answer only made the atmosphere more tense.

James frowned deeply.

His eyes moved from Ryan to Alicia.

Alicia’s face was flushed, tears welling in her eyes as she stood there clutching the ruined dress.

She seemed overwhelmed, unable to find the words to explain herself.

Charlotte’s father turned towards Edward, his face dark with fury.

“Chairman Knight, is this the surprise the Knight family prepared for us?”

His voice was cold.

“My daughter cannot be subjected to this kind of humiliation. I suggest we put the engagement announcement on hold.”

Edward’s expression darkened.

He had never expected Alicia to suddenly appear at such a critical moment.

Everything had been going perfectly.

The two families were about to announce their engagement, and yet this single scene had thrown the entire arrangement into chaos.

The Mercer family had already begun to harbor resentment.

Continuing the marriage discussions now would be extremely difficult.

After all, the Mercer family would never sacrifice their daughter’s dignity merely for the sake of a powerful alliance.

If word of tonight’s events spread, everyone would say the Mercer family had swallowed their pride and allowed their daughter to marry into a family that had humiliated her.

How could they possibly accept that?

Edward’s eyes hardened as he looked at Alicia.

Alicia finally seemed to regain her senses.

She hurriedly picked up Ryan’s jacket and wrapped it around herself.

Then she bit her lip and took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t do anything with Mr. Knight. I really didn’t!”

But at that moment—

Those words only made the situation worse.